Top Ten Tuesday: Quotes I Loved from the Past Year or So

Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday as hosted by the lovely people over at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is about our favorite quotes from books that we’ve read in the past year or so. I think books always have that one gem hidden in them somewhere that always manages to shine through, so here are ten of the quotes I loved:

“Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy,” Wren said. “It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for.” – Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I love this quote because it’s just beautiful and true: happily ever after is extremely hard to achieve, but if two people work hard enough at it, then it’s the best thing ever.

I just love the simplicity of the statement, but there’s so much meaning behind it. In context, it’s war and fighting for everyone and their survival. Even without context, the line is just simply beautiful. Imagine rattling the stars: how much power, courage, and determination you’d need to do that. Stunning.

“For too long, I’ve made my past my future, afraid to imagine anything else. And I acted like that – static – afraid of my own kinetic energy. Maybe it’s time to start imagining, maybe it’s time to be in motion. Maybe it’s time for me to fight back against the sadness inside of me.” – My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

As someone who has battled and dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts, I understand this line all too well. It’s the turning point, the realization that it will get better, that it’s okay to live. I love this line because of the desire to live, to push through it all.

“We were both silent for a minute. And I wondered for the fist time whether ‘feeling feminine’ just meant feeling good in your own skin.” – None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

It’s important to remember that very phrase, regardless if you’re male, female, whatever you identify as: feel good in your own skin. It doesn’t matter what you look like, what you believe yourself to be, identify as, or what other people say: feeling good in your own skin is the most important thing you can possibly do. I’m still working on it, but I’ve gotten pretty good lately.

I think a lot of times people, especially young people, go from relationship to relationship sometimes without realizing that it really is about finding that “shore worth swimming to.” And, when you do find that someone, it’s pretty great. And it doesn’t even have to be a romantic relationship: friendships, family relationships, coworkers, etc, are all important. Keep those “worth swimming to” close to you.

“Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures.No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.” – Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Coming from a reader/writer perspective, this is a beautiful and true statement. Words are so much more powerful than anything in existence. They are there when you go to sleep at night, or when you’re trying to catch your flight. They’re there no matter where you go, and I think that this quote is just so beautiful.

“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.” – An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Many people believe that our lives here are meaningless and that we exist just to exist, but sometimes there are those moments in time where we can’t deny that there’s something more, a bigger purpose than we realized. It can be big or small, but it’s there, and I think this quote nicely defines that, because it truly does take a lot of courage and strength to act on it when it’s there.

“I see only reminders that nothing lasts forever, not even greatness.” “Some things last.” I faced him. “Really? And just what would that be?” “The things that matter.” – The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson

Again, this is so true. Not everything lasts forever, but the things that matter – especially if they matter to you – will last forever. To me, love and hope will last forever.

“There is no pretending,” Jace said with absolute clarity. “I love you, and I will love you until I die, and if there is life after that, I’ll love you then.” – City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Honestly, this is just too romantic not to be a favorite of mine. So cute, so sweet, so much raw emotion. I love it.